Here’s what it can do
Microsoft recently announced that it will be adding a ton of new features to Copilot and upgrading the AI-powered chatbot to OpenAI’s latest model – GPT-4 Turbo. Apart from the AI-powered chatbot, the tech giant is also testing a new feature called ‘Deep Search’ which will be available when making search queries on Bing Search.
As opposed to traditional AI chatbots, which require users to come up with a prompt, Deep Search will automatically take your Bing search query and expand it to find more relevant information to complex search queries.
The Deep Search button appears to the right of the search box on results page. (Image Source: Microsoft)
How does Bing Deep Search work and what can I use it for?
According to Microsoft Deep Search uses Bing’s existing web index and ranking system and then uses GPT-4 to enhance results. The large language model, which also powers Copilot and ChatGPT then takes the search query and presents a more comprehensive description of what the ideal search results should look like.
Since the feature is currently available to a handful of users, Microsoft shared an example where a fairly vague ‘how do point systems work in Japan’ turns into a detailed prompt asking Bing to “Provide an explanation of how various loyalty card programs work in Japan, including the benefits, requirements, and limitations of each. Include examples of popular loyalty cards from different categories, such as convenience stores, supermarkets, and restaurants. Show a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of using loyalty cards versus other payment methods in Japan, including current rewards and benefits. Highlight the most popular services and participating merchants.”
Compared to a simple web search that shows generalised and vague answers, Microsoft claims Deep Search can help capture the “intent and expectations more accurately and clearly.” However, it might not correctly interpret the context every time.
To tackle this problem, Microsoft says the feature uses GPT-4 to find all possible intents and provides a comprehensive answer, so if it shows an answer you weren’t looking for, the user can choose the right one from the disambiguation page.
However, Bing’s Deep Search feature might not be for everyone, since it takes an average of 30 seconds to complete, so Microsoft has added Deep Search as an optional feature. Currently, the feature is limited to a some users and it is still unclear if and when it will be available to the general public.